2020 was a fantastic year for streaming. With movie theaters closed, it was the best way to distribute new content to the masses. There is no shortage of ways to stream, whether you are a dedicated power supply or one of those best TVs with built-in smart.
Despite all the competition, Roku still makes my favorite streaming devices, and with the amount of streaming I did this year, my penchant for it only increased.
Roku is by no means a small business, but compared to Amazon, Apple and Google, they are still relatively unknown to the masses. Which doesn’t really make sense, because Roku is very busy doing this – to the point where I could never return to another company’s devices again.
In fact, I just bought my third Roku device and now I have more of it than TVs.
Access all the content you want
There are many reasons why I like Roku, and a big one is that they do not fall within the line of one of the other big technology companies. Many other streaming devices are manufactured by big competitors, and it is known that they refuse to give competitors access to their devices. Like Amazon and Google’s long spit that prevented YouTube from appearing on Fire TV sticks, and Prime Video on Chromecast until just last year.
Roku itself claimed the status of an impartial partner, without any incentive to prioritize some service. In other words, Roku devices usually have access to all mainstream services. There are exceptions, such as the prolonged standoff that has prevented Roku users from accessing HBO Max, but historically it is rare that a service is missing. And Roku and HBO Max recently signed a deal.
A clean interface (which does not sell well to you)
Although Roku has its own free streaming channels, the status “impartial partner” means that the interface itself avoids pushing you to any service. There are static ads in a small number of places (one of my colleagues says it’s still too much), but for most of the time it’s enough to let you see what you want to see.
Roku is not like Amazon’s Fire OS, which you are constantly trying to move to Prime Video and other Amazon services. Some Fire TV sticks may offer more advanced features than Rokus with a comparable price, such as built-in Alexa integration, but for me it’s not worth it.
For me, the clean interface is the right selling point. Roku’s OS places your content in front of and in the middle, on the home page as soon as you turn on your TV. You can not navigate halfway on the page or search for your streaming programs, nor are you forced to send anything from your phone or endure any other nonsense between you and the programs you want to watch.
What about Chromecast and Apple TV?
Roku is not the only company doing this. With Google TV, Android, you can customize your home screen to your own liking. With Apple TV, you can also customize how app icons appear on the home page. But Apple TV boxes are very expensive in comparison, and the Chromecast with Google TV has a home screen with highly suggested and promoted content.
Apple TV also has the goddamn touchpad remote that I have never been able to put out. It has improved over the years, from what I have experienced, but it still struggles. For a business that is proud of design, Apple makes some spectacular stupid decisions by engineering things that are not necessary. Roku did not do this on the remote, but it is not really a selling point, as every other streaming device does it the same way.
I can do without the annoying buttons for services I never use. Roku is not the only one doing this, as the Nvidia Shield TV and PS5 media remotes will know. It will still be fun to do that, or to adapt to what they do.
The value factor
All this is useless if a device is not affordable. The Apple TV has a lot to do, but the cheapest one still costs $ 149 and it does not even support 4K. If you want to, you have to pay at least $ 179. The cheapest device from Roku is $ 30 (Roku Express) and 4K support costs $ 40 (Roku premiere), and the most expensive all-inclusive device is only $ 100 Roku (Roku Ultra). It is assumed that none of these devices are for sale, and that Rokus is often also. Especially at this time of year.
It’s about the same as Amazon’s Fire TV devices, or we’m talking about the Fire TV Stick Lite, Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV Cube. The features are not identical, but the point is that Rokus does not cost too much.
Roku has some disadvantages
But Rokus does not have everything. For example, they have stubbornly ignored Dolby Vision for years, and have now just included this standard in its most expensive device: the Roku Ultra. Meanwhile, Amazon’s 4K Fire TV Stick included HDR10 and Dolby Vision from day one. And for half the price to get started.
Having a Dolby Vision TV will definitely scare you off, and Roku’s next range of 4K streaming devices should support HDR10 + and Dolby Vision. Especially if Roku plans to release more soundbars. If you make the effort to purchase a soundbar to upgrade your living room setup, it may help to include the best possible features.
Bottom line
The truth is, I’m willing to ignore some of Roku’s minor shortcomings if I get something green in return. In my opinion, a clean and user-friendly interface is worth knowing that I do not have an HDR feature that I can not even use right now. But come to me in a few years, after upgrading my TV to something better than a basic 4K set, and see if I feel that way too.